Garments



Jan. 7, 1964 FIGQI E. WEISS 3,116,489

GARMENTS Filed Nov. 13, 1962 1N VENTOR.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,116,439 GARMENTS Efrain I. Weiss, 333 W.57th St., New York 19, N.Y. Filed Nov. 13, 1962, Ser. No. 237,122. 4Claims. (Cl. 297) This invention relates to garments and moreparticularly to garments of the thermal type, i.e., those whichincorporate an insulating lining or the like as a protection againstcold.

The use of an insulating lining of various types has been known for manyyears. The insulation qualities generally depend upon the thickness ofthe lining although there are other characteristics that are ofimportance. However, the use of a fairly thick lining is almostinvariable when good insulation is required.

For many years the use of insulation lining such as above described hasbeen found objectionable because the garment assumes an unattractivebulkineas. This result is also objectionable from a functionalviewpoint. In other words, an unduly bulky garment is both unsightly andunwieldy.

An example of lining which is conventionally used is so-called foamplastic with a fabric backing. The foam plastic is generally cellularpolyurethane or the like while the fabric is generally a two-way stretchknitted or woven material.

With the foregoing in mind I have devised a lining of the above typewhich is incorporated in a conventional manner in a garment or the like,but which largely eliminates bulkiness and conforms, as required, to thecontours of the human body. This result is realized by cross-slittingthe lining, along both its length and width, while maintaining thebacking substantially intact, so as to provide, in effect, independentfoam plastic or foam rubber, square-like sections which permit thelining to cup and drape itself around the contours of the body.

The invention will be further understood from the following descriptionsand drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary view of an insulated jacket partly broken awayat the elbow;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the elbow portion of thegarment; and

FIGURE 3 is a plan view illustrating a fragmentary or edge piece of thefoam plastic lining material, before the material is incorporated into agarment.

The jacket has the usual outer lining 11 which may be of nylon or thelike. It is also provided with an inner lining 12 which may be of nylonor cotton or the like. Disposed between the inner and outer linings isthe interlining 13 which is of insulating material as above described.

Interlining 13 is disposed throughout the entire body of the jacket.Along the main body, it may be stitched to the other linings as by rowsof stitching 14. Sometimes the arms or sleeves are also stitched in thesame manner but they are very often left unstitched as illustratedherein.

Interlining 13 consists of a fabric backing 15 which may be of two-waystretch material, or stretchable in all directions. Adhered thereto isthe foam plastic material 16. Purely as an example, an insulatinginterlining comprising such foam plastic may have a normal 'icethickness of about 1 of an inch, while the backing may be of stretchablecotton or socalled Helanca or nylon stretch material.

Referring to FIGURE 3, I show the foam plastic 16 16 as having a seriesof parallel slits 17 in one direction and a second series of parallelslits .18 in a perpendicular direction thus forming a grid of the entirearea of the insulating material which extend to all edges of thematerial. The slits are brought right down to the base fabrics asillustrated in FIGURE 2.

Referring to FIGURE 2, it will be noted that as the foam plasticmaterial is bent around the elbow, the slit foam plastic, and thereforemutually independent pieces thereof, separate as illustrated by theparticular squarelike sections 16a. The same thing occurs, of course, inthe perpendicular direction so that, as will be evident from FIGURE 2,the material becomes cupped or concave-convex, thus permitting it todrape itself neatly around an elbow, or a shoulder, or the like.

It is important that the slits be disposed in at least two directions asillustrated. Such arrangement permits the cupping effect which isnecessary and which permits snug draping of the garment around bends forboth aesthetic and functional advantages.

Although the slitting is shown in two directions which are displacedrelative to each other, the slitting may be modified as long as thematerial is thereby enabled to become cupped. This is particularlyimportant as regards the sleeves since these ordinarily tend to balloonand further to restrict free movement.

I have shown what is now considered a preferred embodiment of theinvention, but it is obvious that changes and omissions may be madewithout departing from its spirit. For example, the term garment mayinclude any article worn by a person and the lining, although of aninsulating nature, may serve other functions such as padding.

What is claimed is:

l. A garment having an outer lining, and an inner heat insulatinglining, said heat insulating lining comprising a backing, and flexiblecellular foam material adhered to said backing, said foam material beingslitted in at least two directions so as to form mutually independentsegments of said foam material capable of expanding and assuming a jointcupped shape, said slitting going down to said backing.

2. A garment according to claim 1 and wherein said two directions are at90 in respect to each other.

3. A garment according to claim 2 and wherein said backing is of stretchmaterial, said slitting comprising a series of parallel slits in onedirection, and another crossed series in a 90 direction thereto.

4. A garment according to claim 3 and having sleeves, and wherein saidheat insulating lining is disposed within said sleeves.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,785,739 McGregor et al. Mar. 19, 1957 2,976,539 Brown Mar. 28, 19612,981,954 Garbellano May 2, 1961 3,042,562 Peterson July 3, 1962

1. A GARMENT HAVING AN OUTER LINING, AND AN INNER HEAT INSULATINGLINING, SAID HEAT INSULTING LINING COMPRISING A BACKING, AND FLEXIBLECELLULAR FOAM MATERIAL ADHERED TO SAID BACKING, SAID FOAM MATERIAL BEINGSLITTED IN AT LEAST TWO DIRECTIONS SO AS TO FORM MUTALLY INDEPENDENTSEGMENTS OF SAID FOAM MATERIAL CAPABLE OF EXPANDING AND ASSUMING A JOINTCUPPED SHAPE, SAID SLITTING GOING DOWN TO SAID BACKING.